Chapter 2: The Shadow on the Balcony

"Musa, thunder fire your prank! You wan give person heart attack?" I breathe out, but still vex. "You dey craze? This kind joke for night?"

I try maintain small pride, but e hard. I dey wonder if Musa get plan with the person wey send that text.

He no even answer, just ask: "You know say time don go, today na April Fool. So, wetin happen?"

E dey smile, e dey enjoy himself. That kain smile wey dey pain person. If to say I fit reach through phone, slap no go hard me.

I know if I talk about the strange message, he no go believe.

I just sigh, arrange my voice so e no go notice anything. Wahala dey too much for one night.

So I just talk: "Nothing, I just wan ask if you wan follow me chop midnight food."

I add small laugh join, make e no suspect. Hunger sef dey my mind, but fear just push appetite go far.

He reply with vex: "You think say I go believe? You wan invite me make I stand for outside breeze? Na why I prank you first!"

He dey try form strong face, but I sabi say e dey happy say he win this one. Musa and wahala na five and six.

I wan end the call, since I don confirm say he dey alright.

My mind just dey, make I sleep, forget this matter. The prank don pass, abeg.

"Okay, if you no wan chop, then make we—"

I stop. My words hang. But before I finish, I freeze.

Because for the video, for the balcony behind Musa—

My heart skip. One kind shadowy person just stand there.

I quickly ask, "Musa, person dey your house? Somebody dey your balcony!"

My voice dey tremble. I try look well, but the light for that side no too bright.

He shock small.

Musa pause, eye blink, head turn small like say e wan look. But just for one second.

Then he laugh again: "You wan scare me? I no go fall for that!"

He wave hand, like person wey dey chase fly. So truly, na only him dey house.

I begin worry: "Abeg, turn look! Somebody dey there, and…"

My own heart dey dance for rib. I dey look the background, my mouth just open.

"And the person dey come closer… Na woman, with long hair."

My own voice small, almost whisper. My back dey sweat. For that dim light, the shape dey move closer.

Musa just dey laugh more: "Your acting no reach my own. My own just now na real fear. You, you just dey try. Hahaha…"

I wan cry. Goosebumps full my body.

I no even know how I go make am believe me.

I dey tap my screen, voice dey crack. "Musa, abeg, I no dey joke! Look behind you!"

But the main thing be say, fear grip me.

The kain fear wey dey make person forget him own name. My body dey shake, teeth dey knock each other.

Because as she dey come near, I see am clear…

Light catch her face small—her hair scatter, cover her face, only half of her rotten cheek dey show.

The air for my room chill, even though I dey alone. Something dey crawl inside her hair, like maggots.

And that half-rotten face—cheek don sink like dry well, lips crack, teeth black and yellow—

The sight fit make even herbalist run. Dried blood just dey between her teeth.

The fear tight my throat. My body freeze like ogi wey dem leave for cold.

Before I fit react, she just waka like magic, pounce on Musa.

One second she dey far, next second she just jump reach Musa straight, as if distance na play. I shout, but my voice die for throat.

That moment, our video call go black…

No be network wahala. Just total darkness. My lips dey shake, I no fit talk.

Na real ghost be that.

My whole body dey quiver, like say na cold breeze from Sango market blow me. I fear reach bone.

I no fit move, no fit shout. Tears dey my eye, but e no drop. For my mind, I dey pray say e no be true.

Before I even reason, my phone vibrate again.

This time, my hand no steady. True, another message land.

I no wan check, but my finger dey move on its own. I tap the notification, see:

"Abeg, judge which one no be lie: 1. Your mama go die; 2. You sef go die; 3. Ghost go enter your store room."

This three options just make my head dey hot.

I almost throw phone. Two na repeat from last time, the ones I no go ever choose.

Fear dey bite me for chest. So dem dey force me to pick number 3.

But just now, I see ghost for Musa side…

My mind dey jam. E mean say the ghost dey come for me?

Like as e do Musa?

I reason am—if na to kill me, the ghost for just show now. But this one dey play game. The kain spiritual wahala wey person dey hear for elders' story.

But e no make sense.

If the ghost wan kill me, e for just do am. Why all this question?

The ghost get reason for all this.

As I dey shake, I notice—

This time, the question mention one place: "store room."

I scratch head. Before, no message talk about location.

But this one do am.

E get why.

Na the first time dem dey point place. Maybe na clue, or trap. My head dey spin.

Maybe na the key to all this wahala tonight.

My heart dey do gbim gbim. Should I go check?

As I dey reason, I notice other things—

One, na after I answer, the next message dey come.

So maybe I fit control am. I try calm myself, dey think fast.

Two, dem no talk say I must answer quick, so maybe if I no answer, nothing go happen—or at least, I fit delay?

Hope small enter my chest. Maybe na time to reset everything.

With that, I get up go find the store room key.

The corridor dark, my footsteps dey echo for tile. My hand dey tremble as I search the small box where mama dey hide key. That store room, my mama no dey let me enter—she dey lock am always.

E get as e be. E dey suspicious, but I dey desperate. But I sabi where she dey hide the key.

My fingers finally jam key for behind old photo frame. I find am quick, waka reach the door, open am.

My heart beat fast as I waka for the passage. As I push door, one kain old scent of bitterleaf and mugwort hit me.

My nose wrinkle. For my mind, I remember childhood—when mama dey boil leaf for bath if pikin dey sick. When I small, my mama dey talk say mugwort dey chase evil away.

Omo, for this kain night, who no wan carry mugwort?

Since NEPA don take light, I use torch dey look around.

The torch beam dey sweep the room, shadows dey dance everywhere. Inside, na old things everywhere—table, chair, wardrobe, lamp—all those things wey we no dey use again. I see faded 'Omo' detergent tin, one broken kerosene lamp, and pile of old JAMB forms wey dem dump one corner—room full ground.

Spider dey run, dust full everywhere. The place cold, as if air no dey enter since last harmattan.

My eye catch one kind dark red wardrobe—

Old wardrobe, e bend small for corner. The store room don lock for long, but the wardrobe small open.

The door dey hang like person wey no sure of himself. I take deep breath, waka reach, gently open am…

My hand dey shake. Thank God, no scary head jump out.

Relief small, but my mind still dey watch. Inside, na even older things—

Na old wrappers, even mama wedding wrapper fit no old reach this one. Old red wrapper.

The wrapper dey smell of camphor and ancient dust. Bronze mirror wey get strange native marks.

I touch the mirror. E cold, heavy. Like something dem use for old ritual. And also, one thick…

Marriage contract—

E resemble those ancient marriage papers, no be the normal certificate wey dem dey use now. (For olden days for village, marriage contract na proper document for arranged marriage.) Na so dem dey do for my village—use kolanut swear, then hide contract for family house.

Na the type elders go sign with kolanut and palmwine, then bury part for shrine.

But why my family get this kind thing?

I hold am, my hand dey vibrate. I pause small, then open am.

The paper yellow, soft, but the ink still strong. Inside, I see black-and-white photo—

I look am well. Man and woman sit together.

The woman dey smile; she resemble my mama well.

The cheekbone, the eyes—e be like my own, sef. But the photo too old, I no sure if na her.

The man face, dem don black am many times, you no fit see who he be.

Like person no wan make anybody sabi the man. The strangest part be their cloth—e be like burial dress.

The wrapper and shirt, all get one kain old pattern, white chalk for face. Under, their names and details, but dem black those ones too.

E resemble the kind thing wey Dibia fit keep for shrine. Wetin be all this?

My body dey cold, but my hand dey sweat. That moment, my phone vibrate again.